Vaping is becoming more popular and socially acceptable as the years go on. It’s often seen as a great transition from smoking cigarettes and tobacco because it’s regarded as being much healthier. Besides its potential health benefits compared to actual smoking, the vapor produced from E-cigarettes also doesn’t smell nearly as much, and it’s not as visible either.
However, this doesn’t mean that vaping doesn’t come without its problems, with burning your throat being one of them. After all, you are still heating up a liquid to the point where it turns into a gas and generally contains nicotine.
The combination of heat and nicotine, as well as other components contained in e-liquids, could irritate and burn your throat.
Of course, having your throat burn every time you take a hit off of your vape is not enjoyable, and this is what we’re here to help you with today. We’ll determine exactly why your throat burns when you vape, followed by a crash course on how to stop a vape from burning your throat.
Key Takeaways
- Vaping might be burning your throat due to temperature issues, the type of vape juice being used, your style of vaping, and more.
- This article will explore all of the possible causes of your throat burning when you vape, as well as all of the solutions, including reducing the nicotine content, turning down the temperature, switching the type of vape juice, and more.
Keep reading here to find out what the best vape tank flavor is and what the best vape for cigarette smokers is.
Why Does Vaping Sometimes Burn My Throat?
Some people might think that it’s the simple act of vaping that burns your throat, but it’s actually a lot more complex than that.
On a side note, if you just stop smoking tobacco, such as in a pipe or in a cigarette format, then you might be experiencing tobacco withdrawal. Tobacco withdrawal often causes a sore throat, although this should disappear within about a week of quitting.
As you’re about to see, there are no less than eight possible causes as to why vaping might burn your throat, so let’s take a quick look at each of them. Knowing what the main causes are will allow you to identify the solution.
High Nicotine Levels
If you’re just starting to transition from smoking cigarettes or other forms of tobacco, chances are that you are using an E-liquid that has a very high nicotine content. Obviously, you need to satisfy your nicotine cravings, or else the whole experience is wasted on you, because the main point is to get nicotine into your system. That said, the higher the nicotine content, the more irritating it will be for your throat.
The Type of E-Liquid
Although we aren’t going to get into the science of it here, there are two main types of E-liquids. Most people choose the regular E-liquid, known as freebase. This tends to be a more popular choice for people for a variety of reasons, although smoothness is not one of them. The issue here could be your freebase E-liquid, whereas nic salts could be the solution.
The Temperature
Your throat might also be burning when you vape because the temperature on your vape is set far too high. Whether your vape has an adjustable temperature or a power level, if either of these are set too high, it could cause the vapor to be far too hot for your throat. Your throat is being burned because the vapor is actually way too hot.
Improper Vaping Techniques
If it’s your first time vaping, your throat might burn due to improper vaping techniques. Many people try to hit their vape for as long as humanly possible to get those big and thick clouds, along with a whole lot of nicotine.
The problem here, however, is that the longer you hold that power button down for, the hotter the coil will get, the more E-liquid will be vaporized at once, and the hotter that E-liquid will be when it is vaporized. The result is that you get far too much vapor at once, and it’s probably too hot as well.
Vaping Too Much
Although vaping is generally considered healthier than smoking, the reality is that it still irritates your throat. It might just be the case that you’re vaping way too much and that your throat is not getting a break.
A Dirty or Inadequate Coil
It could also be the coil itself that is to blame here. If your coil is very old, it may be dirty and covered in old residue that is making the vapor really harsh. In some cases, people might also be sensitive or allergic to the nickel contained in the coil.
Dry Hits
If you’re not a very experienced vapor, you may not be paying attention to the level of E-liquid inside of the tank. If the coil is not covered with E-liquid, it will start to burn dry. Dry hits are extremely harsh because you end up burning the wick instead of vaporizing E-liquid.
Your Body Doesn’t Like the Specific Vape Liquid
It may also be the case that your body just doesn’t like the specific E-liquid you are using. Different E-liquids have different flavors, which means that they also contain different ingredients.
People are like snowflakes, no two are alike, and while other people might do fine with a certain flavor, you might be sensitive to it. In case you’re looking for something, Beard Vape Co No. 32 Cinnamon Funnel Cake is known for being quite smooth.
The Science Behind the Burn
Vaping will likely always irritate your throat at least just a little bit, especially if you vape a lot. The fact is that although vaping is considered to be much healthier than smoking, our bodies still aren’t designed to inhale hot vapor on a regular basis.
More than anything else, it’s the temperature associated with the vapor, contained with some of the substances in the E-liquid, that may irritate your throat. Some vape juices contain volatile organic compounds which can be irritating to the throat and other mucous membranes.
Proven Strategies to Prevent Throat Irritation
Now that we know why your throat burns so much when vaping, let’s take a look at all of the different solutions at your disposal. Of course, which solution you utilize depends on the underlying cause of your throat burning.
Lower the Nicotine Content
If you are using a vape juice that has an extremely high nicotine content, then the obvious first choice here is to lower the nicotine content. The higher the nicotine level, the more it will irritate your throat.
However, this is only feasible down to a certain level because you still need to get an adequate amount of nicotine into your system. If lowering the nicotine level any further is not an option, move on to the next point.
Change to Nic Salts
As mentioned above, freebase E-liquids, although very popular, tend to be fairly harsh on the throat. A much better solution is to use nicotine salts as your vape juice of choice.
Nicotine salts can contain much higher nicotine ratios when compared to free-based liquids, but due to the way in which they are composed, are much smoother on the throat and are much less likely to cause irritation and burning.
Adjust the PG/VG Ratio
What many people don’t know is that vape juice is generally made out of two main components: PG or propylene glycol and VG or vegetable glycerin. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. VG is used to create a lot of dense vapor, and PG gives you a throat hit that mimics smoking tobacco.
However, important to note is that PG can, in some people, cause a mild allergic reaction, and is just somewhat harsh in general.
For this reason, you might want to try a vape juice that has less PG and more VG. There are some vape juices out there that are 100% VG, which should help to lessen the burning sensation and irritation. The higher the ratio of vegetable glycerin to propylene glycol, the smoother that it should be.
Lower the Temperature
If you find that the vapor feels really hot in your throat, and you have your vaporizer turned up to a high power level or temperature, then the obvious solution is to turn it back a bit.
In some cases, it might just be the excessive temperature that is burning your throat. The solution is to cool things down a bit. A cooling menthol vape might be a solution as well. This Heisenberg Menthol Vape Juice is a prime option to consider.
Vape Less
If you find yourself constantly hauling on your vape from dawn until dusk without break, then it might just be the case that you’re vaping too much.
The solution here is to try and vape less. Of course, this is in some cases easier said than done, because chances are that you are vaping because you are trying to quit smoking cigarettes or other forms of tobacco. That said, if you find yourself constantly vaping, it might be a good idea to cut back a little bit.
Take Smaller Hits
It might not necessarily be the case that you have to cut down on your vaping to solve this issue, but rather just vape a little differently.
Some people take hits that are far too big, and all of that hot vapor can be really irritating for the throat. Therefore, instead of hauling on it until your face is bright red, try taking hits that are only a few seconds long.
Change or Clean the Coil
Some people have poor reactions to coils that contain a lot of nickel, in which case the obvious solution is to find a nickel that has a lower or nonexistent nickel content.
On that note, if your coil is very old, then all of the buildup on it may also be causing harshness. You may have taken a dry hit once or twice, in which case you probably burnt the wick, which could also result in a harsh hit.
Make Sure You Aren’t Taking Dry Hits
Speaking of dry hits, if you notice that you aren’t getting as much vapor as usual, but it’s extremely harsh and hot, chances are that you don’t have enough vape juice in the tank, and that the coil is running dry.
This is perhaps one of the worst things you could do, as it will quickly ruin a coil and warrant a replacement. Make sure your tank always has enough E-liquid in it.
Change the E-Liquid Flavor
Seeing as some people are just really sensitive to certain E-liquid flavors, if all else fails, try changing the flavor to see if it helps. Something like this Candy King Strawberry Watermelon Vape Juice might be right up your alley.
Have a Cool Drink
Another simple solution here is to have a cool glass of water with you, and this can help relieve irritation and cool down your throat as you are vaping.
Importance of Vape Maintenance in Preventing Burns
Although there are plenty of great solutions to preventing your throat from burning while you vape, one of the best ones is actually a preventative measure. A dirty or old coil will quickly result in acrid and harsh vapor.
It is essential that you maintain the coil in your vaporizer by cleaning it on a regular basis. Cleaning a coil can be done in a number of ways. However, if the coil is very old, damaged, or has gone through a few dry hits, you’ll want to replace it. The bottom line is that regular coil cleaning and replacement will help prevent harsh and hot hits.
Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Alleviate Throat Burn
Let’s go through a few quick mistakes that you should avoid when trying to alleviate throat burn.
- If you’re drinking liquids to alleviate the burn, make sure that it is a cold and plain liquid. You shouldn’t drink anything hot or acidic. This might just burn even more.
- If you are switching vape juice flavors, make sure that you don’t switch to something that’s even harsher, especially in terms of the nicotine content or e-liquid type.
- Although you might be tempted to have a cough drop in your mouth when you vape, this could be very dangerous, as you might inhale the cough drop and start choking on it.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, this is a more complex issue than you might at first think.
As you can see, there are many different possible causes to your throat burning when you vape, which means that there are also many solutions.
The reality here is that you’ll probably have to go through a bit of trial and error to figure out exactly what the issue is.
How to Stop My Vape From Burning My Throat: Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s quickly answer some of your most frequently asked questions about how to stop your throat from burning when you vape.
Why is it Important to Choose the Right E-Liquid Ratio?
The higher the ratio of VG to PG, the smoother the hit should be.
Can Certain Flavors Cause More Irritation Than Others?
Yes, certain flavors of vape juice can cause more irritation than others, and it really depends on what you are more or less sensitive to. Different vape juices have different ingredients.
How Do I Know if it’s the Nicotine Causing the Burn?
If you switch to a vape juice that has a lower nicotine content and the burning stops, then it was the nicotine that was to blame.
For further reading on this subject, we suggest the following:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10435022/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10481551/
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21162-vaping
- https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2022/09/27/study-provides-new-insights-on-teen-vaping-behaviour-in-australia.html
Disclaimer: The information provided on Vapes.com is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Vaping may have potential health risks, and the content on this site should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your vaping habits or if you have any concerns about the health effects of vaping. Vapes.com is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any information, products, or services mentioned on this website. Use all products at your own risk and in accordance with local laws and regulations.
